Mother claims kids kidnapped by their father and brought overseas
- Alaa Azzam dropped her two kids, aged eight and 10, off at a practice station on February 14 and hasn’t seen them since
A British mother-of-two has been left fearing for her kids’s security after they have been allegedly kidnapped by their father and brought to Syria.
Alaa Azzam, 33, didn’t know when she dropped Kamal, eight, and Kefah, 10, off at Church Stretton practice station in Shropshire on Valentine’s Day, that it will be the beginning of a dwelling ‘nightmare’.
It was agreed by Ms Azzam and the kids’s father that they may spend a part of the half-term vacation with him.
But simply two days later, she obtained a name from a relative to say her husband had been seen in Jordan, sparking fears her kids had been kidnapped.
Detectives at the moment are investigating the incident, with the kids – who’ve twin British-Jordanian citizenship – being handled as ‘high-risk lacking individuals’.
Ms Azzam has flown to Jordan in a bid to search out them, however has since been advised by her solicitor they’ve been taken to Syria, ‘the place there aren’t any legal guidelines and no courts’.
Alaa Azzam (pictured entrance) along with her two kids Kefah, 10, and Kamal, eight
Alaa Azzam (pictured proper) along with her two younger kids. They relocated to Shropshire two years in the past
Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Azzam stated: ‘I’m a mom, I’ll take any threat to get my kids dwelling safely. My kids are my life. There is nothing extra I can do than go to Jordan and save them.’
‘My solicitors will begin a High Court software however I can not wait till then. I do not know the way my youngsters are feeling.’
A courtroom order is in place that states Ms Azzam’s kids can’t be taken in another country with out the consent of the mum or dad accountable for them or the courtroom’s permission, MailOnline understands.
Ms Azzam believes her husband has taken the kids as a type of ‘punishment’, and admitted she has ‘by no means been aside’ from them.
She fears the kids have been taken to Jordan as a result of the Middle Eastern nation has not signed the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed they’re helping a British lady following a state of affairs in Jordan.
Ms Azzam pictured along with her two younger kids, who’ve British-Jordanian citizenship
Ms Azzam left her former dwelling in Swansea two years in the past, after her ex-husband of eight years ‘wished them to maneuver overseas to Jordan to reside along with his household,’ she claimed.
The relationship had allegedly been abusive earlier than she relocated to Shropshire and moved right into a refuge with the assistance of police.
When requested about her husband, Ms Azzam stated: ‘He by no means allowed me to have any environment or neighborhood round me. I did not have any associates till I got here to Shropshire. For eight years, he was my life.
She added: ‘He was very controlling of my daughter. She had very lengthy hair, so she stated to me, “mommy, I want to donate my hair to Cancer Research. I said to her, “it’s very as much as you. It’s your hair. And you are able to do no matter you need my beautiful”.
‘She raised £250 for the community. When her father saw her hair that short he said to her “it’s not as much as you to do this to your hair”.’
Ms Azzam claimed her husband abducted the children as a form of ‘punishment’. Pictured: The family together
In August last year, the court granted Ms Azzam custody of her children, while their father was granted access to see them on a fortnightly basis and on school holidays.
Her husband, who is an A&E consultant, allegedly returned to Jordan after 20 years in the UK last year.
Ms Azzam received a message from him in January 2024 to say that he was returning to the UK and wanted to continue with court procedures.
‘I did not want to go back to court,’ Ms Azaam explained, ‘I didn’t want to have this again. I’d had enough, and I just wanted to live in peace with my children.’
Ms Azzam agreed to let her husband see their children and it was arranged for the end of February, during the half-term holiday.
Kamal and Kefah (pictured) just before Christmas with a friend dressed as The Grinch. The pair are now being treated as high-risk missing people.
‘On February 12 he sent me a message saying to me that on the 14th he’ll be coming and picking up the children, I said to him, “okay, that is tremendous with me”.
‘My daughter starts crying, and she says to me, “I do not need to return to Daddy. I do not need to go, and I do not need to see him”.
‘And then I say to her, please try and enjoy your time with dad and that “now we have agreed that you could construct a relationship with him”.
‘Now I feel that I have let down my daughter, and I handed her to him.’
Ms Azzam explained: ‘I went back home and on Friday, my cousin who lives in Jordan and is his parents’ neighbour, she called me and she said to me “Alla, the place are the kids?” I said to her “the youngsters are with their father having their half vacation”. She said to me the father is in Jordan.”
Ms Azzam began frantically calling her husband, asking to talk to her kids, to which he allegedly responded with: ‘the kids will converse to you in an hour’.
‘My concern began rising once more that there’s something not good. I referred to as him once more, and I stated “where are the kids?” and he stated “shut up and listen to me carefully”.
‘And then I began shouting and screaming at him on the telephone, and once I hung up the telephone I referred to as the solicitor. I referred to as the police.’
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police stated: ‘On Friday February 16, we obtained a report that two kids from Shropshire had been illegally taken overseas by a member of the family.
‘An investigation has been launched and the kids, aged 10 and eight, are being handled as high-risk lacking individuals. Extensive enquiries are underway to find them and guarantee they’re protected.
‘The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are supporting their household.’
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